Prime Minister Viktor Orban is sharpening Hungary’s pitch to invest 2.8 billion US dollars to bring the Olympic games to Hungary, reports Bloomberg.
Hungary has committed to building a modernized infrastructure and sports facilities to cater for the 2024 games, at a cost that won’t bankrupt the city.
Bloomberg writes that holding down construction costs and luring hundreds of thousands of visitors to Budapest will help pay for the event, while the cachet of hosting the games will resonate for years to come through increased tourism.
The Prime Minister has rejected any suggestion that the games would be wasteful. Pal Schmitt, Hungary’s former president, and himself an Olympic champion in fencing, said that the candidacy had merit as it would bring the games to this part of central Europe for the first time.
Zsolt Borkai, Head of the Hungarian Olympic Committee, said he’s confident the country has a viable shot because of 2014 changes to the selection process that may favor smaller cities.
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